The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1887-09-17

itotu1i iifci 10 Aoiincu w the NOlku
and Middle Forks, which rise In HE
Sierra Nevadas in Plumas Co.. fhn
southwestward, and unite In Butte
Co, about miles y. L. of Oroville.
The river. including the forks, is
$50 miles long. 1t runs nearly south
ward, forms the boundary between
Sutter and Yuba counties, and enters
Sacramento river at Vernon, In Suffer
Co., about 20 miles above the city OF
Sacramento.
II Is well known, among gold min
ers, that the richest and most product
i've gold mines of California have been
the beds of rivers, and the Feather"
stands pre-eminent as 10 richness
wherever II has been possible 10 work
IL. In fact, old miners have known
II for years under the name OF The
Golden Feather
Prof. Horatio G. Burchard. in speak
ing OF the gold producing river beds
I of California. says "Tney are the
natural. sluices of thousands OF square
miles Of auriferous ground, the wash
\ from which has been distributed on
( the beds, bars, and benches, where, by
a natural process OF concentrtion, the
gold was redeposited In such manner
! that il was easily accessible TO the
early miners" The bars, which at
| low water are dry, are exposed To the
\ operation of the miners. and from
many places In the bed OF the river -
I where it was impossible TO turn the
: river out of its channel by means of
dams and canals, or flumes--the min
er soon found the ways Of abstrasting
the precious metal from the sand and
gravel in which IL rested. The Big
bend of Feather river, however, whose
gravel deposits have been estimated
in value from sl00,000,000 TO $780,
100000, has hitherto baffled the skill
OF man TO rob il Of its treasure this
vast amount of wealth has been guard
ed and preserved for ages by the min
imum constant flow OF eighty thou
sand miner inches Of water rushing
through narrow canon OF from l,50O
to 1000 feet deep, which rendered it
impossible TO wingdam or flume.
Yet, while nature has thus seeming
ly placed impregnable barriers against
mans encroachments, she has provid-
ed, by these barriers, the very means
for man To overcome them, and mod
ern engineering skill has utilized them
In the construction OF the Big Bend
Tunnel
There is a little stream called Dark
Canon Iavine, which runs into the
west branch of the Feather and from
there into the main Feather. Dark
Canon ravine is several feet lower than
the bed Of the main Feather. A tun-
mel was commenced at this point, and
bore 9 BY rs drilled through spur
OF Big Bend mountain a distance of
12,007 feet, or nearly two and one third
miles In length; out 10 the mountain
side of Feather river, at this point a
dam across the river was constructed
which is 10 force the water through the
tunnel into Dark Canon rayine, out Of
which IL will flow into the west branch,
and then into the main Feather again,
this win leave about fourteen miles OF
the river bed exposed to sight during
the season Of low water, which is from
seven TO nine months in the year.
This stupendous undertaking re-
quired the services OF seventy-nve
men, working night and day, and sun
day included, three years and four
months. At the head OF the tunnel
six gates OF iron and steel. l-2 by 8
feet, will let the water in or keep IL
out. In times OF high water the gates
will be closed and the river will run
along its old bed, 10 be turned out of
its course and through the tunnel at
low water.
The past yield, from those parts Of
the Feather accessible To mining oper-
ations, is sufficient evidence that the
most sanguine anticipatons Of the
projectors Of this grand scheme will be
fully realized. The famous old Casse
Claim, below Big Bed. yielded $3.50.
600 In forty-two working days, and
from 500 lineal feet IF half-worked
river be |. In tact, the riyer-channel,
both above and be ow the Bend, has
proven.itself immensely rich.
The president OF the Big Bend Tun-
mel and Mining Company, DR.. II. V.
Pierce, is, perhaps. OF all others, the
most entitled 10 credit for the success
full termination OF this grand enter
prise. Being fully satisfied with the
feasibility Of the scheme from its In
ception, he has with an unstinted hand
supplied the funds for the prosecution
of this enormously expensive work.
and his confidence and liberality will
soon meet its reward.
DIR. Pierce is man Of mark. and